How online currency like #bitcoin has had to enter the real world:

New federal regulations make online currencies act more like traditional forms of cash. FORTUNE – Remember those days when Monopoly money was just play cash that bought everything in the game from railroads to houses? When the game was over, the value of that colorful paper currency spiraled to zero. Now with online currencies, the game never really ends. The Internet never shuts off, so the value of money circulating through cyberspace is always worth something. Last week, new U.S. government rules regulating online currencies affirmed the value of what was previously passed off as funny money. Now companies that issue or exchange online cash would have new bookkeeping requirements. For instance, transactions of more than $10,000 would have to be reported. While one of the big draws of virtual currencies is that they're independent and generally sheltered from the governm...